Pneumatic gin-feeder.



No. 879,771. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. R. L. HOLLINGSWORTH. PNEUMA'I'IGGIN FEEDER- APPLICATION FILED APR. l5. 1907.

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. Wmv ssEs A TTOHNEYS No. 879,771. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. R. L.HOLLINGSWORTH.

PNEUMATIG GIN FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15.1907.

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@YW/ ga TTOHNE YS To all 'whom it may concern:

' 'chamber 2 I provide a baffle 11 which has the UNITED sTA'rEs PATENToEEioE.

ROBERT HOLLINGSWORTH, OF DEOATUR, GEORGIA.

PNEUMATIC GIN-FEEDER.

Be it known that I, ROBERT LEE HOL- LINGSWORTH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Decatur, in the county of Dekalb and State ofGeorgia, have invented a new and Improved Pneumatic Gin-Feeder, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to cotton cleaners and vacuum boxes and y beltdistributers, such as are used for removing d irt and sand from thecotton before the cotton is passed to a ginning machine.

The object of the invention is to produce a machine of this class,having improved means for feeding cotton into the machine, and forremoving the dirt or sand.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims. r,

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, a portion of the body ofwhich is broken away f ig. 2 is a longitudinal section through themachine, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a verticalcross-section through the machine, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents a bonnet which isof cylindrical form, and seated upon the cylindrical airchamber 2. Thesaid air-chamber is provided with an upper head 3 having a centralopening substantially of the-same diameter as the bonnet 1, and has alower head 4 havinga similar opening. Through the heads 3 and 4 a guidesleeve 5 is arranged, the extremities of the. said guidesleeve beingreceived in the aforesaid openings. This guide is formed of gauze orwire mesh and constitutes a screen.

The air-chamber 2 is seated upon they cover 6 of a chute 7, said coverbeing provided with an opening 8, which alines with the sleeve 5 asshown. The chute 7 constitutes the upper rtion of a body 9, the lowerportion of which body is formed into an elongated receiver 10. In thelower portion of the airform of a conical wall, having its largerdimension disposed upwardly, the lower extremity of the same beingattached around Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 15. 1907. Serial No. 368308.

the side of the guide sleeve 5 where it passes through the lower head 4.The upper edgeratentedreb. 1s, 1908.

or space 12 is formed, through which the upper portion of theair-chambercommunicates with the lower portion thereof. From'the lowerportion of the 'air-chamber 2, an exhaust pipe 13 leads, and thisexhaust pipe is adapted to be attached toan exhaust fan by means ofwhich the air within the air-chamber may be withdrawn. In the upper sideof this exhaust ipe is a relief-valve 14, which opens inward y if asufficient vacuum is produced to overcome the pressure of the spring 15;in this way the development of too high a vacuum within the device isprevented'. This exhaust pipe 13 preferably passes from the air-chamber,tangentially.

The bonnet 1 .is provided with an inletpipe 16 which enters the sametangentially,

vided a conveyer belt 18-which is provided with a plurality of wipers 19of rubber or similar material, and between these wipers transversecleats 20 are arranged as shown. At

its extremities, this belt passes around rollers 21 which are adapted tobe continuously.

driven in any suitable manner. The upper run of the belt lies upon theupper face of a shelf or guide-board 22 which extends longitudinally ofthe body 9 as shown. The lower side of the body is formed into aplurality of.'

mouths 23 which project downwardly and are adapted to be placed over thehoppers or feed openings of .the ginning machine. The

wipers 19 are adapted to engage at their edges with the side walls andthe` upper wall of the body so that they operate to cut offcommunication from the chute 7 to the ends of the receiver 10. Asillustrated in 2 the right-hand end of the receiver 101s eft open and atthis point the roller .over which.

the belt passes has its shaft 24 mounted in blocks 25, which blocks areadjustable'by means of a nut 26 whichl is received on the threaded stem27 which extends from the block as shown; and a spring 28 is disposedaround the stem rand thrusts against the block, tending to force theblock toward the left, as will be readily understood. The opposite endof the receiver is formed into a sand box 29, the lower side whereof isnormally closed by means of a removable slide or door 30. At a suitablepoint above this sand box, a screen 31 is provided, formed of Wire gauzesimilar to the gauze of which the sleeve 5 is formed. The upper edge othis screen 31 is attached -to the end wall 32 of the receiverand itslower edge is attached to the bottom 33 of the receiver as shown. Thescreen 31 is curved about the center of the A"adjacent roller 21 as anaxis, so that as the wipers 19 pass the screen they are adapted to havetheir outer 'edges rub against the screen as indicated.

Just above the sand box, the upper side of the receiver is formed with adoor 34 which is provided with hinges 35 so as to be opened at will; inthis way access may be had to the l screen 31.

In the side wall of the air-chamber 2, windows 36 are provided, havingpanes of glass or similar` material, through which the lntef rior of theair-chamber may be inspected.

i The bonnet 1 is closed at its upper end by a the exhaust fan withdrawsthe air through the outlet 13 from the interior ofthe airchamber 2; inthis way a partial vacuum is produced, which develops aninvward currentof air through the inlet opening 16;i this air as it enters is ladenwith raw cotton which is carried upon the air-current ina' helical pathor swirl, being given this direction by the guide plate 17. The cottonthen fallsthrough the guidesleeve 5 which constitutes a screen throughwhich the current of air passes. The baffle 12 operates as an equalizeror diffuser, so as to prevent any tendency of the air to pass throu hthe sleeve or screen 5 at one point. This an' passing throu h thelsleeve carries with it small particles of irt or sand, and the cottonpasses downward into the chute 7, falling upon the-upper side oftheconveyer belt 18; andthis belt is driven so Y the mouths 23 which leadinto the ginning,

that it advances .the cotton toward the sand box. As the cotton passesover the screen 31 the wipers operate to dislocate the sand therefrom,which sand vpasses through the screen into the sand box. As the cottonpasses from the sand box it is delivered into machine. l

In practice, bonnets similarto the bonnet 1 may be provided of dilerentsizes or construction, and the same will be made interide chan eable sothat any one of the bonnets may e used in connection with the sameairchamber and body.

Having thus described my invention I claim as newr and desire to secureby Letters Patent Y 1. In a cotton machine of 'theclass described, ascreen, .means for developing an air -current to carry cotton alongsidethe screen, a bonnet delivering to the screen, said bonnet beingprovided with a helical guide for imparting a swirling motion to thecotton, whereby the sand carried thereby may be thrown throu h thescreen.

2. In a cotton mac 'ne, and' in combination, an air chamber havingasubstantially cylindrical screenpassing therethrough, an outlet pipeleading from the said chamber throng which tair may be exhausted,whereby to carry cotton alongside the screen, and a bonnet delivering tothe screen, said bonnet being provided with a helical guide plate for imarting a swirling motion to the cotton, for t e purpose set forth.

.3. In a cotton machine of the class de scribed, lin combination', anair-chamber having a substantiallycylindrical screen passingtherethrough, an outer pipe leading from said air-chamber and adapted towithdraw air therefrom, means withinfsaid air chamber for e ualizing thedraft through said screen, andl means for delivering a current of airthrough said air-chamber, within said screen. p

4. In a cotton machine of the class described, in combination, anair-chamber having a .substantially cylindrical screendisposedtherethrough, an outlet pipe leading from said chamber, a baffleplate adapted to diuse the draft of air through said screen,

and a bonnet in connection with said chamber, havmg an outlet pipe to-which a current of air may pass, inwardly, said bonnet having a guidefor directing the incomingair current throu hvsaid screen.

5. n a cotton cleaner, in combination, an .air-chamber having a'pair ofheads, a substantially `cylindrical screen attached in said heads andadapted to direct the incoming cotton through saidair-chamber, an outletpipe leading' through the side wall ofsaid airchamber, a substantiallyconical baflleplate having the small end disposed near one end of'saidair-chamber and aording means for diffusing the air current drawnthrough said screen, and a bonnet above said air-chamber, and havingmeans for directing an incoming air-current through said screen.

-In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

. ROBERT LEE HOLLINGSWORTH.

Witnesses:

' GEO. B. RUHS,

T. R. MILLER.

loll

